Battery terminal



March 19, 1935. v L. LE9. 1,995,184

BATTERY TERMINAL Filed May 17, 1935 INVENTOR LICCIO LEVI ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 19, 1935v 1,995,184

UNITED STATES PATENT (OFFICE r s .2 31,995,184 7 V BATTERY TERMINAL W Liccio Levi, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May '17, 1933, Serial No. 671,425 f6 Claims. (01.173-259) The'invention relates in generalto anelectric tion of the accompanying drawing and in part terminal and particularly relates to a terminal will. be more fully set forth in the following paradapted to be applied to the binding post of a ticular description of one form ofmechanism em- Istorage battery; and the invention specifically bodying the invention, and theinvention also relates to that form of battery post connection consists in certain new and novel features of .5

which is designed-to deter or prevent the forconstruction and combination of parts herein- 'mation of corrosion at the connection for the aftersetforth and claimed terminal posts of storage batteries. 1 In the accompanyingdrawing:

It has been known heretofore in devices of Fig. 1 is a viewof a conventional form ofstorthis character to provide means for preventing agebattery shown in side elevation with a ter- 10 the seepage of eorroding acids from the battery minal connection in operative engagement thereupwardly along the battery posts; but it has with, shown partly in vertical section and showbeen generally true that'such known devices posing a preferred embodiment of the invention; sess certain disadvantages among which might Fig. 2 is'a plan view looking down upon the be noted that they position the acid repellent disclosure in Fig. 1,'with parts broken away to 15 7 material, which is usually a dielectric, between show internal construction and parts taken on -the battery post and the cable terminalwhich is line 22 of Fig. 1;.and r 1 usually clamped thereto. The presence of this. Fig.3 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the dielectric more or less interferes with thedesired 'line 33 of Fig.2 looking in the direction indiproviding of a maximurnareaof electric "contact cated by the arrow. '2. I 20 between the post and its associated terminal. In the drawing there is shown a storage bat- Accordingly, one ofthe objects or this inventery 10 Withits cell casing 11 and top member tion is to provide a simplified means for locating 12' through which extends a frusto-conical .ter-

a relatively smallquantity of the corrosion repelminal post 13. The post is engaged by a somelent material at that point where it will do the what: conventional form of split clamping .ring 25 greatest amount of good, and at the same time 14 bifurcated to form bolt flanges 15- .and'16 maintain the largest possible area of electric conthrough which isthr'eade'd a clamping bolt 17 tact between the post and its associated cable. secured by'nut 18=so as to bring the clamping Another feature of the invention herein is to ring in snug engagement with theterminal post provide a terminal structure which will retain '13 as is usual in such constructions. Also fol- 30 the advantages inherent in known approved comlowing conventional forms, the ring 14 is promercial forms of terminals, and provide the advided with a cable socket 19'into which is fitted vantages herein recited simply bymaking a slight the lead-or cable 20. a and inexpensive modification of --such known The ring portion-of the terminal is provided forms of battery terminals. with a bore 21: of conventional frusto-conical 35 Broadly, the invention contemplates the proform to fit thepost 13 and still following convenviding of a groove in the 'wall of the usual split tional structures, the ring. is positioned on the clamping ring forming part of the terminal, 10- post with its underside 22 actually engaging the eating the material containing groove at 'or-ad top'member 12, or in juxta-position thereto, in jacent the lower-face of the ring which engages either case providing a slight clearance 23 due 40 the top of the battery casing in-such way so as to the fact that the top of 'the member 12 and to locate a ring of small cross section of material the face 22 are usually formed rough and unfinclose to the joint between the battery post and the ished so that a clearance, however slight and ii- D 0f the battery as n regular, is almost. bound to exist. 7 The invention contemplates other refinements; The feature of this disclosure is that the lower v45 such for instance, as the providing of a constrictportion ofthe wall forming the bore [22 is re- -'ed annular passageway leading downwardly from cessed to provide an, annular groove, 24 which the groove, so as to permit a leakage therefrom faces the lower end of the exposed portion of the of the material to the joint; and the disclosure post 13 and is designed to contain a ring 25 of also features the providing of areadily accessible corrosion repellent material, usually a form of 50 passageway for replenishing the material in the grease or oil commonly employed forv the purgroove without necessity of breaking the electric pose of defeating thetendency of the acid in the gconnectlon between the terminal and p battery from creeping upwardly along the post Various other objects and advantages of the inand causing corrosion of the metallic parts form- Ye will -P b vi u f om an in PeQ- ,ing the battery connection.

ill

, way andits presence does not tend to weaken the structure of the ring. While the groove 24 may be contained entirely in a horizontal plane, it is herein suggested that the opposite ends 29, and 30 may be curved upwardly from the plane containing the major portion of the groove, so as to direct any material which may be discharged from the ends of the groove on to the bolt 17 at its juncture with the bolt flanges as it is at these points that corrosion is quite apt to form.

A further refinement of the basicstructure is theproviding of an annular constricted. leaking passageway at 31 between the groove 2i and the lower face 22 of the ring. As illustrated in Fig. .3, the groove 24 and leaking passageway 31 may berformed by machining the lower end of the ring bore to give the outer outlining wall 32 a form somewhat S-shapedthus providing rounded .surfaces along-which the material may creep as it. moves slowly from the ring-like reservoir at 24 to thejoint 33 between the top member 12 and the post 13.

By means of. a device of the character disclosed it is possible to clamp the cable terminal to thebattery post, tightening up the connection by means of the nut 18 until a longsnug engagement' is provided between the portion of the ring above the grooveand the adjacent portion of the post. "Ihen by'introducing the desired materialthrough the. passageway .26, the groove 24 is eventually filled with'the material and from time to time fresh material may. be introduced through the passageway 26 to replenish'that which may havedrained out of the groove. This can be attained withoutnecessity of breaking the initially'formed electric connection .between the terminal and post. Due to'the vibration of the parts when mounted on an automobile and even in the absence of any such vibratorymovement the corrosion repellent materialwill eventually creep from the groove reservoir provided bythe groove 24downwardly to the joint33 and may even spread therefrom outwardly and radially through the clearance 23. In this way the material is per- .mitted to seep across the lower face of the connection and around the base of the post 13.

Various modifications can be made as desired, for instance, a source of supply such as an oil reservoir. may be secured in place to supply the passageway 26 and, in those cases where access cannot be provided to passageway26 from the top of the terminal, the passageway may lead from the side ratherthan the top. of the ring 14. 'In this way it is possible to maintain a constantly replenished supply of clean material to that portion of the connection where it is needed, that is, particularly to the joint at 33.

Itis obvious that no other change need be made-to the conventional form of terminal herein illustrated, except to form the groove 24 and if desired toform the leaking passageway 31, and to drill the supply passageway 26, both of which'operations are extremely simple and can be easily performed as a factory manufacturing proposition without materially adding to the initial expense of forming the terminal.

While there have been shown, described and pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention;

I claim: 1

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a storage battery provided with a top member and a terminal post projecting above the top member and of frusto-conical form with its widerend at the top member, a split clamping ring having a bore fitting the post, in snug electric contacting engagement therewith for the major portion of its length and having its lower face disposed in contact with or at least in close juxta-position to thetop member. thev portion of the bore adjacent the lower face of the ring provided with'a groovefor containinga corrosion deterrent material and for locating the material adjacentthe bottomand spaced from the top of the post, the portion of the bore between the groove and the lowerface of the ring providing a restricted annular passageway permitting the material to leak from the groove. downwardly to the joint between the top member and the post, andqsaid ring provided with a. material feeding passageway, leading from the top of the ring in spaced relation to the post downwardly and inclined towards the, post and opening into the groove.

2.;In combinatioma storage battery including a top member and a terminal post projecting upwardly through said member, a conductor terminal attached to the upper portion ofsaid post and including a; bore receiving the post, said terminal disposed with its underside disposed close-the topv surface of the said member to form a thin joint therebetween, the bore provided adjacent [its lower end with an annular groove open to the portion of the-post just above said top member and the bottom of the groove opening through a constricted annular'passage to the joint between the post and top member.

3. A terminal attachment for storage batteries comprising a ring having a bore to receive the battery terminal post, said ring having a groove in the wall of itsbore and adjacent one end of the bore,- the portion of said bore between the groove and the adjacent end being slightly enlarged to provide a constricted passageway leada ing longitudinally of the bore from the groove to the adjacent end-of the bore.

'4. A terminal attachment for storage batteries comprising a ring having a bore of frusto-conical form to receive the battery terminal post, the

larger end of the bore defined by a groove in the wall thereof, saidrgroove being substantially S shaped in radial cross section and said ring provided with a passageway spaced from the bore and leading into the groove.

5 A terminal attachment for storage batteries comprising a split ring with'the ends thereof forming bolt flanges, a .clamping bolt passed through the flanges, the bore of the ring provided .with' an annular groove, the ends of the groove extending upwardly from the plane of the major portion of the groove to direct the contents of the groove towards the clamping bolt and said ring provided adjacent its crotch portion with a downwardly inclined passageway with its upper end accessible from the top face of the ring and its lower end opening into the groove.

6. A terminal attachment for storage batteries comprising a split ring with the ends thereof forming bolt flanges, a clamping bolt passed through the flanges, the bore of the ring provided with an annular groove, the ends of the groove extending upwardly from the plane of the major portion of the groove to direct the contents of the groove towards the jointures between the clamping bolt and the bolt flanges.

- LICCIO LEVI. 

